Time management is one of those magic phrases every college student will mention when asked about how to have the best college experience. Almost all the teachers on campus begin the first day of instruction with a lesson on how time management is critical in succeeding not only in the classroom, but in the world abroad.

Many students spend years trying to perfect the art of time management, but at least one sophomore has already gotten it down to a science. Elizabeth Norvell contends with not only a part-time job at American Eagle and a full-time student load, but also two sports that are active within the same season: gymnastics and track and field.

“Like any other student-athlete, (we) balance our classes and work schedule whenever we can,” Norvell said.

Known as Lizzy by her friends and teammates, her gymnastics coach, Kim Hughes, describes her as “outgoing” and “a bit of a jokester.”

“She’s a good athlete,” Hughes said. “She’s always on time for practice and she’s a good student.”

Gymnastics has always been a part of Norvell’s life, having been involved with the sport since she was 4 years old. Her love of gymnastics carried well into high school where she performed for the Buchanan Bears for four years and was twice named her team’s Most Valuable Player.

But she said her interest in track and field also led her to join the team there as well.

As a freshman at Sacramento State, she became a walk-on for the gymnastics team and competed in four meets in the 2007 season. It was also during this time that Hughes was contacted by Terry Van Laningham, pole vault coach for the track team.

Laningham had heard that Norvell competed in her high school’s track team and asked if she could also compete for the Hornet’s track team, specifically for the pole vault event.

Norvell accepted the offer to become the only female student-athlete to compete in two sports at Sac State and went on to place seventh at the 2007 Big Sky Championships.

“She’s a walk-on athlete for both sports. That’s an impressive thing,” Hughes said.

Kathleen Raske, coach and director of the Sac State track and field team, said that Norvell is a fantastic athlete who performed well on the track team despite little formal experience and training. She said she is excited to watch Norvell grow as a person and as an athlete.

“She’s a great person and a pleasure to have on the team. (She’s) positive and has a good work ethic,” Raske said.

Because National Collegiate Athletic Association regulations prohibit student-athletes from practicing more than 20 hours a week, the gymnastics and track coaches have to work out a schedule on a week by week basis to balance out appropriate practice times, since she has classes every day of the week and the teams meet at different times, Norvell said.

Currently, Norvell said her schedule involves practicing for gymnastics every day of the week. She starts off every day with morning classes, followed by afternoon practices, and then heads back to campus at the end of the day for her evening classes. On prearranged days when she isn’t working at her job, she squeezes in some pole vaulting practices into her daily schedule as well.

Raske said that the arrangement right now is for Norvell to spend the majority of her practice time with the gymnastics team, since the gymnastics season is in full swing right now and although the track team is presently competing as well, the outdoor events for the track team haven’t started yet. She said Norvell’s first meet for the track team will be on March 22.

“Since it’s (gymnastics) season, this is my focus. And when it’s track season, I can switch over,” Norvell said.

On the gymnastics team, Norvell specializes in the balance beam and the uneven bars events; while on the track team, she specializes in only the pole vault.

“She works just as hard and as long as everyone else,” Hughes said.

Norvell earned her career-best of 9.850 on the beam against Utah State in January and her career-best in the pole vault is 11-05.75.

Currently, Norvell is majoring in business, but she said she plans on switching her major to economics in the fall and start a career in a line of government work after she graduates.

Justin Tejada can be reached at [email protected]